THE GREEN CAT CAFɍ 1514 E. Olive Way, 206-726-8756, www.greencatcafe.com 8 a.m.-6 p.m. every day; live DJ brunch noon-3 p.m. Sat.-Sun.
If it’s a fat Reuben or a hearty plate of steak ‘n’ eggs you crave, the Green Cat’s got nothing for you. But if meatless comfort food is calling your name, you’d do well to plop yourself down at this reborn Capitol Hill standby. The menu’s all vegetarian, but the dishes aren’t gimmicky—They’re 100 percent down-home. No protein powders; no spirulina supplements; no modern cyberfuel made for fitness ‘bots. Just good, wholesome caf頦are that happens to be meat-free. I love—and I mean love—pig products with my eggs in the morning, but I was nothing shy of pleasantly surprised by the satisfaction-quotient of Green Cat dishes like the Hobo, a cheesy, potato-centric egg scramble with a pre-emptive dollop of sour cream and salsa ($6). Warm and filling, it’s the kind of thing you want to eat on a camping trip, or after a workout, or, well, just about anytime.
Indeed, breakfast at the Green Cat is a delight. In warmer, drier months, the sidewalk tables on Olive Way are prime seating. Other times, the raised dining room, with its appropriately quaint wood furniture and live DJ weekend brunch, is the destination of choice. Always busy but never overly so, you’ll have plenty of company but you’ll rarely have to wait for a table (though the line at the counter—there’s no table service—will extend outside the door for those DJ brunches). It’s items like the Hobo, Green Eggs Sans Ham (eggs scrambled with pesto, $6), and my personal favorite, tamale pie (an inspired black bean, blue corn chip, salsa, egg, and cheese bake in a corn tortilla pie crust, $6; and, again, I didn’t have to ask for sour cream) that keep Capitol Hillers coming back. And most plates include lovingly arranged fresh fruit.
The PBBH/J sandwich (peanut butter, banana, and honey or freezer jam, $3.75), needs little explanation—it’s just plain good, served on 12-grain bread (it’s OK, but of the bagged variety) with the aforementioned fresh fruit. The Green Cat Sandwich ($6.75) is like a warm, well-balanced pizza of smoked provolone, avocado, tomatoes, pesto, and sunflower seeds on open-faced light rye. Perfect for mid-day refueling. Soups are great, and an assortment of salads, pasta, and rice dishes should keep the post-breakfast crowd happy.
